Yes, Brenda never repeats a design.
Yes. The gold paint that Brenda uses is made from 24 carat gold dissolved in a solution. When the pieces are fired to 780° centigrade in the kiln, the solution burns off, and leaves a thin layer of gold on the porcelain. Brenda builds up a thicker layer of gold by multiple applications and firings.
Yes. Brenda herself wears her brooches on light blouses.
No. Hand-made porcelain tends to be too brittle or heavy to be used satisfactorily for brooches. Blank porcelain intended for brooches is manufactured under pressure, a technique that is difficult to reproduce at home to a standard that Brenda considers acceptable for her method of decoration.
No, Brenda is an artist and uses porcelain in the same way as others use canvas, glass or wood. Brenda takes great care with her choice of porcelain to paint on. She sources her blanks from all over the world and carefully selects the porcelain pieces to set off her painting to best effect.
Brenda’s plates are decorative art pieces, and are not intended for use as tableware. However, they are all fired to factory temperatures, and the durability of the decoration is similar to factory-produced ware. Brenda recommends hand-washing. Care should be taken to avoid use with acids such as lemon juice or vinegar, as these could react with the paint.
No, Brenda never uses transfers, even to outline her designs. Each element is painted freehand.
With “hand-finished” porcelain, most design elements are applied using transfers, and then one element (usually the gilding or the application of raised enamel) is applied by hand. In “hand-painted” porcelain, the whole design is painted by hand – no transfers are used.
